Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law

Chapter 835: Chapter 840, Chapter 841: _2

Chen Mo smiled and neither confirmed nor denied it.

Having gotten an answer in her heart, Liang Ji went on, "Then why must you insist on making Your Majesty depose the Empress? Empress Zhao doesn’t get in the way of you going a step further..."

As she spoke, Liang Ji lifted her eyes to look at Chen Mo, and said in some surprise, "Don’t tell me you’ve taken a fancy to Empress Zhao."

Chen Mo: "..."

What kind of brain circuit is that.

"There’s absolutely no such thing." Chen Mo said.

Liang Ji clung to her own suspicions and didn’t believe Chen Mo at all. She said, "You think I’d believe you?

The Former Empress, the Former Princess Consort Huai, Princess Zhaoqing, Xiao Gan’s two wives..."

Liang Ji stared into Chen Mo’s eyes. "Do you want me to keep counting? Empress Zhao’s status is so special, and you’d be willing to let her go?"

"..."

Fine. Chen Mo knew his reputation in this area was already ruined. No matter how he explained, no one would believe him. So he simply let it rot and said, "Think whatever you like."

"See, you won’t even bother to explain anymore, and you still won’t admit you’ve got your eyes on Empress Zhao. These successive Empresses of the Imperial Family—you don’t plan to let a single one slip by, do you."

Chen Mo: "..."

For some reason, when he heard Liang Ji say that, he just felt a surge of an indescribable heat rush down to his lower abdomen.

Seeing Chen Mo’s expression, Liang Ji smacked him in anger, then said, "If I were Your Majesty, I’d abdicate and pass the throne to you tomorrow. If he keeps staying on it, I’m afraid all the Concubines in the Harem will end up suffering."

"..."

Yo yo, listen to her—how is it that exaggerated.

He released Liang Ji’s slender shoulders, scooped up her legs and laid them across his own, then took off the embroidered shoes on her feet while saying, "Yo yo, you might not believe it, but I still have to explain: the Empress being deposed really has nothing to do with me. It was entirely His Majesty’s own idea. I suspect His Majesty might have been a little scared..."

At that, Chen Mo froze for a moment. He lowered his head and saw that Liang Ji was actually wearing silk socks.

He had given her those silk socks a long time ago.

But he had never seen Liang Ji wear them.

He lifted his eyes to look at Liang Ji.

Liang Ji’s cheeks were a little hot. She turned her head away and huffed, "Aren’t you the one who’s always wanted me to wear them? What, you don’t like them now?"

"How could that be? I’m practically in love with them to death." Chen Mo immediately reached out and started playing with them.

Liang Ji’s beautiful legs were like naturally formed jade pillars—contours clear, elegant yet powerful. Now wrapped in sheer black silk stockings, the lines of her legs looked even more fluid, her muscles tight and firm, simply a perfect work of art, impossible to put down once in hand.

Liang Ji: "..."

Are they really that good? When her legs are bare, he never seems this happy.

Now that she’s wearing these "silk socks," he likes them so much he’s practically about to go crazy.

Liang Ji truly couldn’t understand this particular preference of Chen Mo’s.

Once he’d gotten his fill of touching, Chen Mo lightly patted Liang Ji on the side of her waist.

Liang Ji rolled her eyes at him, climbed onto the bed, and turned her back to him.

After all, they’d been together for quite some time now; the two of them had developed a certain tacit understanding.

...

Nobody knew how much time had passed. Liang Ji’s delicate face, damp with sweat, was pressed against Chen Mo’s chest. Her beautiful eyes were half closed, lips slightly parted.

Chen Mo, still "piling snowmen," said, "Yo yo, I’ve got good news for you."

"What is it?"

"Yunxi has given birth. I’ve already spread the word that she had two children. In a few days I’ll arrange for you to meet, and then you can officially acknowledge Qin’Er as your godson. After that you can properly spend time with Qin’Er." Chen Mo said.

Liang Ji opened her eyes. Her gaze lit up, and in her dignified voice there was a faint, sultry softness. "Really? Did she have a boy or a girl?"

"A girl. I picked a name for her—Chen Shu." Chen Mo said.

"’Condensed frost and graceful beauty, lovely and extraordinary’—it’s a good name." Liang Ji traced circles on Chen Mo’s chest with her finger, then said, "That makes her blessed with both a son and a daughter."

Once she finished speaking, Liang Ji began discussing with Chen Mo when she should meet Chen Qin.

After they settled on a time.

Chen Mo stroked Liang Ji’s face and said, "As for His Majesty deposing the Empress, I’ll trouble you, Yo yo, to go and talk to him, ask him to retract his decision. If I go, I’m afraid I’ll scare him again and he’ll do something else foolish."

Liang Ji nodded.

...

After Chen Mo left, Liang Ji rested for a bit, took a bath, changed into a ceremonious gown, and went to see Emperor Yong’an, asking him to take back the decree of deposition.

But in Emperor Yong’an’s eyes, Liang Ji and Chen Mo were of a piece.

So Liang Ji’s arrival made Emperor Yong’an think this was yet another probe sent by Chen Mo.

Thus Emperor Yong’an said that his feelings for Empress Zhao had already faded, and he spoke at length about Empress Zhao’s many faults, insisting that he must depose her.

He even said that even if King Wei came in person, he would not change his mind.

And Liang Ji was quite surprised by Emperor Yong’an’s answer.

Because she had always believed that Emperor Yong’an’s deposing the Empress was forced by Chen Mo.

But now, hearing Emperor Yong’an speak this way, Liang Ji realized she had probably misunderstood Chen Mo.

Seeing that Emperor Yong’an’s decision was set in stone, Liang Ji couldn’t say any more and left, then sent someone to pass the news on to Chen Mo.

After learning of it, Chen Mo furrowed his brows. Since Emperor Yong’an had already steeled his heart, then the matter would just have to be left as it was.

As long as it didn’t get out of the palace.

...

Meanwhile, in Poison King Valley.

In a mountain ravine within the valley, a faint mist lingered in the air. All kinds of rare medicinal herbs grew on the ground, streams of medicinal fragrance mingling with the mist, making one feel relaxed and refreshed.

By the little stream there was also a small grass hut.

At the entrance of the hut, a slightly thin figure was crouching, cupping her cheeks in her hands, staring at the flowing water in the ravine in a daze, her thoughts drifting who knew where.

A little snake slithered out from the bamboo cage inside her robe, poked its head out to look around, then lifted its head high to look at its master, flicking its tongue to express that it was hungry.

But that figure seemed not to see it, still lost in her daze.

"Cough, cough..."

Just then, a bout of coughing came from behind that figure. The little snake, hearing the cough, hurriedly crawled back into the bamboo cage.

But the snake’s master still seemed not to have heard.

"Yiren..." Only when the owner of that cough walked up beside the figure and called her name did she suddenly come back to herself.

Nalan Yiren’s "post-lag" after coming back to her senses was a bit long; she stared blankly for a moment, then hurriedly picked up the half-mask beside her and put it on, stood up and said, "Great Elder, when did you come?"

"I’ve been here for a while." Si Song said.

"Then why didn’t you call me earlier?"

"I did, but you didn’t answer." As he spoke, Si Song sat down next to Nalan Yiren by himself and said, "Yiren, what were you thinking about?"

"N-nothing..." Nalan Yiren sat down and turned her head to the other side.

But Nalan Yiren couldn’t fool Si Song. He said, "You were thinking about King Wei, weren’t you."

"No." Nalan Yiren replied very quickly.

Si Song shook his head and smiled. "The Valley Master’s vengeance has been avenged. With me and the other Elders in the valley, nothing is going to go wrong. Yiren, you’re not that young anymore. You ought to go pursue your own life, instead of being trapped in this valley for the rest of your days."

Si Song sighed. "Otherwise, when you’re old, you’ll regret it."

Hearing this, Nalan Yiren fell silent for quite a while, then said, "Even though Grandfather is gone, Hundred Poison Valley still stands. I must take Grandfather’s place and make Hundred Poison Valley grow strong."

"Baiyue is too small. If you truly want to make Hundred Poison Valley grow strong, Yiren, then all the more reason you shouldn’t stay here."

"B-but I can’t bear to leave you, Great Elder."

"Go." A kindly smile appeared on Si Song’s face. Though there was reluctance in his eyes, he knew that the first twenty-odd years of Yiren’s life had already been bitter enough. She shouldn’t be confined to the valley any longer; she ought to go and seek out a life of her own.

Nalan Yiren fixed her gaze on Si Song. Her eyes gradually reddened, turning moist. She called out "Great Elder" through her lips, full of reluctance.

"Yiren, don’t cry. It’s not like you’ll never come back once you leave. I’m still waiting to hold a grandchild for your grandfather." Si Song waved her on. "Go."

Nalan Yiren dropped to her knees with a thud, kowtowed to Si Song, then wiped the corners of her eyes, stood up and said, "Great Elder, take care."